Ricardo Allen finished offseason practices working with the first-team defense at free safety, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports.

Allen finished offseason practices working with the first-team defense at free safety, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports.

Analysis:

A fifth-round draft pick last year, Allen has yet to make his first NFL appearance. He's only 5-9 and ran a 4.61 40 coming out of college, so a transition from cornerback to safety gives him the best chance to earn a significant role. Allen had 13 interceptions during his college career at Purdue, returning four of those for touchdowns. His instincts and ball skills could make up for a lack of size and speed, but he'll still have to compete with Charles Godfrey and Kemal Ishmael for the starting job next to William Moore.